Ireland center Bundee Aki will be unavailable for the first three matches of the Six Nations, including the encounter with England, following a suspension for verbally abusing a match official.
The Ireland Rugby Football Union (IRFU) imposed a six-match ban on Aki, with two of those matches suspended.
The incident took place during Connacht’s URC game against Leinster last week.
This means Aki, who has been instrumental in Ireland’s achievements in recent years, will miss Connacht’s upcoming match against Zebre Parma on Saturday, as well as Six Nations fixtures against France, England, and Italy.
“The IRFU does not accept any form of disrespect towards match officials and does not support actions that fall short of the standards expected from players representing Irish rugby,” stated an IRFU announcement.
“The IRFU is conducting a further internal investigation into the matter, and no further comments will be provided at this time.”
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While two matches have been suspended for a period of two years, with the committee acknowledging Aki’s “full regret for his actions,” the decision leaves Ireland without yet another crucial player heading into the tournament.
Outside back Mack Hansen has been ruled out of the Six Nations due to a foot injury, while prop Andrew Porter and, significantly for Aki, center Robbie Henshaw are also sidelined for at least the opening match against France because of injuries.
